Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-22
THE SHENANDOAH.
An Old Whaler's Experience with the
Famous Conf. derate Privateer.

Famous Confe derate Privateer.
4 big man, with face bronzed by the
sun and winds of many climes, sat on one
of the benches at Battery Park, looking at
the changing panorama Of New York har-
bor The sun gradually worked around to-
ward the west, until its rays beat directly
down upon the big bronzed man. He
seemed too lazy to move or too pre-occu-
pied to notice the heat, and continued to
gaze listlessly out to where the Goddess of
Liberty seemed about to melt.
A weary newspaper man came out of
Castle Garden and walked across the park
toward the elevated station. He stopped
now and then to mop his brow and ejacu-
late something about humidity. He
stopped at the little stand in the center of
the park to buy a glass of lemonade, and
rs he raised the cooling draught to his
parched lips his eyes fell on the big man
with the bronzed face and the keen blue
eyes. The glass fell from the reporters
hand and was shattered in a thousand
pieces on the tagging at his feet. Aroused
by the breaking glass, the big man looked
up, and in Il moment the newspaper man
was shaking him by the hand
"Well, Captain Donnell, l thought you
were dead" said the reporter a wrote
your obituary for the Panama Herald cRh
StaT two years ago"
Yes" answered the big man, " read
it when [ returned from Honduras
Then he told all about his travels in
Central America, where he had been since
the journalist had seen him in Panama
getting recruits for Barrios. The reporter
was in the country as correspondent, and
had enlisted under Donnell so as to accom-
pany Barrios' army, but rs soon as his bust
ness was found out he WAS excused. Don
nell and he had been friends, and Donnell
had promised to send him full reports.
The first batch of dispatches received con-
tanned an account of the big mans tragic
death, and the reporter forthwith sat down
in the office Of the Herald and Star and
wrote a long account Of his adventurous
life.
"Pll excuse you," said the Captain d" it
isn't the first time my obituary has been
written. But what of yourself-what are
You doing now ?"
81 had intended writing an article to-day
on the old Confederate privateer, Shenan-
doah, but my search for one of her crew
has been fruitless, and | think I'll give ii
up. You know the Government sold her
at auction the other day"
"No, hadn't heard of it," said the Cap
tain; but | know something about the
Shenandoah. My ship was captured by
her some months after the war had ended
"The very man l want to see. Tell me
the yarn from beginning to end" and
the newspaper man produced his notebook
The big man and the writer sought and
found shady seat, and the Captain began
his story. He wiped some Of the results of
excessive humidity from his bronzed face,
and after thinking a moment said:
&" 1t all occurred in the Arctic ocean. |
had been in the South during the greater
portion Of the war, but year before it
ended | saw how it would be, so | made
my way toward the Pacific coast When [
arrived in San Francisco | was nearly out
of funds, 50 | cast around to find means to
increase my income. am something of a
sailor, and my favorite lounging place, no
matter where | chance to be, is about the
wharves. In San Francisco | became ac-
quainted with a number of sailors, among
others the mate OF the Katherine, OF New
London. Through him l became ac-
quainted with the Captain, and as he was
shorthanded l shipped as third mate. Ny
, object in going to the whaling fields was
not only to investigate the methods of cap
turing the big mammals, but to trade with
the natives of the regions round about.
had had the good fortune to secure lot of
trinkets to trade with the natives. 1t had
been some time since they had been able
to trade with Americans, and anticipated
large profit on my outlay.
THE Katherine made a fast trip, but
when we arrived on the grounds we found